Item Info
Folio Number: front
Source: Rare Book Department
Notes: Initial D with St. Helena observing the erection of the True Cross, from the Legend of the True Cross
Notes: This initial once began a chant used in the celebration of the feast of the Invention of the True Cross (May 3). The True Cross is the name for the cross upon which, according to Christian tradition, Jesus was crucified. According to medieval legend, the True Cross was found by St. Helena, the mother of the first Christian emperor of Rome, Constantine the Great (272 AD - 337 A.D.). The True Cross was believed to have been made from the wood of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden.
This initial has been attributed to the Venetian illuminator Cristoforo Cortese, active from ca. 1399 to before 1445, when a document refers to him as already dead. The cutting is from the same manuscript as Lewis E M 25:27. Several other leaves in the Free Library have also been attributed to Cortese.
Sirsi Catalog Key:
1594388
Country:
Country:Italy
City/Town/Township:Venice
Creation Year (Single Year or Range Begin):
1425
Image Dimensions Width:
94 mm
ShelfMark:
Lewis E M 25:28
Creator Name:
Cristoforo Cortese, attributed to - Artist
front
reverse